Thus ends Chesterfield's Inlet, and all Mr Ellis's expectations of a passage through it to the western ocean. The other parts of the coast, from latitude 62°, to the South Point of Main, within which limits hopes were also entertained of finding a passage, have, of late years, been thoroughly explored. It is here that Pistol Bay is situated; which the author who has writ last in this country, on the probability of a north-west passage,[42] speaks of as the only remaining part of Hudson's Bay where this western communication may exist. But this has been also examined; and, on the authority of Captain Christopher, we can assure the reader, that there is no inlet of any consequence in all that part of the coast. Nay, he has, in an open boat, sailed round the bottom of what is called Pistol Bay, and, in stead of a passage to a western sea, found it does not run above three or four miles inland.
[Footnote 42: Printed for Jeffreys, in 1768. His words are, "There remains then to be searched for the discovery of a passage, the opening called Pistol Bay, in Hudson's Bay," p. 122--D]
Besides these voyages by sea, which satisfy us that we must not look for a passage to the south of 67° of latitude, we are indebted to the Hudson's Bay Company for a journey by land, which has thrown much additional light on this matter, by affording what may be called demonstration, how much farther north, at least in some part of their voyage, ships must hold their course, before they can pass from one side of America to the other. The northern Indians, who come down to the company's forts for trade, had brought to the knowledge of our people, the existence of a river, which, from copper abounding near it, had got the name of the Copper-mine River. We read much about this river in Mr Dobbs's publications, and he considers the Indian accounts of it as favourable to his system. The company being desirous of examining the matter with precision, instructed their governor of Prince of Wales's Fort, to send a proper person to travel by land, under the escort of some trusty northern Indians, with orders to proceed to this famous river, to take an accurate survey of its course, and to trace it to the sea, into which it empties itself. Mr Hearne, a young gentleman in their service, who, having been an officer in the navy, was well qualified to make observations for fixing the longitude and latitude, and make drawings of the country he should pass through, and of the river which he was to examine, was appointed for this service.